Track Listing

1. This Is A Call
2. I'll Stick Around
3. Big Me
4. Alone And Easy Target
5. Good Grief
6. Floaty
7. Weenie Beenie
8. Oh George
9. For All The Cows
10. X Static
11. Watershed
12. Exhausted

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1250 in Music
• Released on: 2003-10-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Assuming former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl dreads the thought of forever being known as "the guy from Kurt Cobain's band," the last thing he'd want to hear is that the debut album from his new band Foo Fighters sounds much like one from the deceased duke of grunge. Unfortunately, Nirvana comparisons are not only inevitable, they're bound to consume the dialogue surrounding his quartet entirely. Perhaps it was unavoidable osmosis: Grohl, Foo Fighters' lead singer-guitarist, wrote most of these tunes during breaks from beat-keeping for his former band leader. It's natural that Cobain's knack for balancing hard and fast with musical and melodic would wear off on Grohl, as well as on bandmates Pat Smear (who also played with Nirvana), William Goldsmith, and Nate Mendel (both of Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate). Grohl even unveils vocal cords that tread lightly on Cobain's gorgeous growl. Of course, many Nirvana-wannabees have tried to capture Cobain & Co.'s teen spirit, and all failed; that Foo Fighters succeed in creating a powerful heavy rock album that's neither noisy nor stale is a measured accomplishment in its own right. So bask in the familiar neo-garage punk (a.k.a. grunge) of "I'll Stick Around", "Oh, George", and "Good Grief", because we certainly won't hear anything from the style's originator in the near future. And, who knows, you might even be surprised by Grohl's own pop chops on the mellow Byrds-like folk rock "Big Me" and catchy rave-up "This Is a Call". The Foo Fighters prove that even if you can't go home again, it sure is comfortable hanging out next door. --Roni Sarig

CD Description
Dave Grohl's opening post-Nirvana salvo, FOO FIGHTERS seemsmerely ordinary only in the wake of the historic, sweetly abrasive sensations that his previous band was famous for. Full of both lilting summer-breeze melodies and search-and-destroy guitar blasts, it helps present the case that Grohl's punk-pop blueprint just might be as forward-minded as Kurt Cobain's was, if slightly less grungy and a bit more blue-collar.
Arriving at its destination by coupling pure '60's guitar-pop with the hyperkinetic pace of hardcore, FOO FIGHTERS takes most of its song-hooks for a joyous high-speed ride.Tracks such as the prankster-ish kiss-off, "This Is A Call", and the meditative-but-bitter "Good Grief" are perfect popnuggets, with turbo-jet guitars propelling them. There are brief respites from such reckless rolling: the glammy verse-chorus-bridge of "Alone + Easy Target", the near-folky "For All The Cows", the sweetly Squeeze-like "Big Me". Yet, theseare only refueling stops for Grohl (who recorded most of the album alone) before he turns the engines back on and blowsthrough alterna-pop's speed limits.
Named after UFO-likeapparitions that U.S. fighter pilots claimed to have seen during World War II, FOO FIGHTERS chooses to ignore Grohl's tumultous real-life connections (there are few, if any, kiss-and-tell lyrics) in favour of establishing a separate musical identity. It's as though the songwriter felt there was little of Planet Nirvana worth rehashing, and decided to find anew (if similar) musical satellite to call his own.

Customer Reviews

A brilliant debut
It's hard to believe that Dave Grohl pieced this entire album together by himself, before he had a band to speak of. Despite being bettered by the Foo Fighters follow-up album, The Colour and the Shape, their self-titled effort remains one of the best rock albums of the 90's and a fine fairwell to the glory days of grunge.

The album starts off wonderfully with their three singles, the wonderful debut single This Is A Call, the Courtney Love-inspired hate ballad I'll Stick Around and the wonderfully charming parody Big Me. No doubt you will have heard one or more of these hits before.

From then on the album goes from strength to strength. There are very catchy and original tunes hidden within the Foo Fighters self-titled album, most of which surpass the single choices. From the brilliant Alone + Easy Target (of which Kurt Cobain wanted to turn into a Nirvana song at one point) and dream-laden Floaty to the cult classic For All The Cows, ranging from a gentle melody to a grungy explosion mid-way through, and the fast, rocky number by the name of Good Greif. Not to mention Weenie Beenie, Grohl's attempt at a truly hardcore rock track.

There are a couple of dull moments here and there. Grohl's tribute to George Harrison (Oh, George), while it certainly has that familiar hook, seems to trail off into nothing and leaves no lasting impression, and while X-Static is certainly a solid track, lacks a chorus that'll have you humming for days to come like the rest of the Foos tracks.

The best is saved for last, though, with two closing tracks turning out to be the strongest on the entire album. Wattershed is an explosion of fast punk-grunge for a solid 2 minutes, and in complete contrast the beautiful melancholy of Exhuasted will linger in your mind long after the album has faded out.

Anyone who's interested in the Foo Fighters should purchase this straight away. It may not be quite up to the heights of The Colour and the Shape, but it's a definative moment in 90's rock that should be in everyone's collection.

Revitalising
When this album was released in 1995 the grunge world was still in mourning of its hero, Kurt Cobain. Surprisingly this album was released to relatively little fanfare - unfortunately many people were too quick to slate Grohl for not continuing the Nirvana legacy. He totally did the right thing in not doing so, because no matter how brilliant the grunge songs he could have written, he would have been vilified for copying Kurt. I've always felt that Nirvana were slightly overrated. Mike Patton reflects in the Faith No More track "Star AD" that "when you die, you become something worse than dead...you become a legend." That is how Nirvana's music will sadly be remembered, they have been propelled to god like status when all they wanted was to give the world some decent rock music. This is Grohl's intention also. Certainly poppier than Nirvana, but "Foo Fighters" is an excellent debut. "This Is A Call" reached No.5 in the UK chart when it was released; I imagine this was a posthumous response to Nirvana's demise. This is unfair, as the song is an absolute belter with an instantly memorable hook. "Alone & Easy Target" and "Weenie Beenie" are two energetic blasts of punk. The rest of the album is a slow-burner although the bouncy "Big Me" is instantly likeable. This isn't to say it is a bad album at all, far from it. In fact, this is the kind of album that you really will listen to again and again. My favourite tracks are "Floaty" and its stuttering, repetitive refrain, "For All The Cows" acoustic/electric build up, "X-Static"'s steady monotone, or the final track, "Exhausted", not instantly memorable but a real grower. After this album Grohl went in a far more poppier direction - "The Colour & The Shape" is full of classic nuggets of power-pop, whilst the gentler "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" sounds not unlike Pearl Jam. But "Foo Fighters" is the sound of Grohl making his own mark on music. Underrated as it is superb. I haven't mentioned "I'll Stick Around" up until now, because of its obvious grunge sound. Make your own opinions.

Scortcher Of A Debut
When I first heard this album I fell in love with it, from the first 2 immediate impact of This Is A Call & I'll Stick Around to the last strains of Exhausted we have Jazz, Punk and Garage rock tracks all over the place. O.k. the production isn't great but originally it's was a batch of demos but to me this only adds to the feel of this fantastic album.